4 Weeks Condensed

At the beginning of my mission I used to always try and say the longest prayer with all the big Dutch words I knew just because I couldn't always say lot else and I wanted to make sure I got something in. Haha, does that make sense? But learning at conference helped me to realize the importance of teaching to people's understanding. Prayer is so important for these people. No one will learn anything unless the Spirit teaches them, and the biggest way he does that is through prayer.

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I am so happy and excited and nervous and just 54,321 different emotions as I write today. Mostly just happy and excited because we found out about transfers last night and... I'm going to AMSTERDAM!! :) Honestly this was not at all where I thought I would go, but I kind of secretly prayed I would, and I guess Heavenly Father felt it was a righteous desire. Zuster Driggs will be my new companion. This is her last transfer so once again I will be having to learn a city in 6 weeks to take over. I'm beyond excited though. It'll be super hard leaving Antwerpen, haha and just Belgium in general. How crazy is it that in this mission you can get transferred to a different country? I feel like it's the right thing and I'm excited for the adventures that await me. I've learned so much these past 6 months in Antwerpen and it will always have a special place in my heart. There are so many people here I love, but I know that they will always be a part of my life. I love D&C 130:2. And I will miss working with Zuster Fritz. She really has become one of my best friends and she's helped me through so much. Haha, thank goodness we both go to BYU.

We've had so many amazing appointments here with members and investigators. The Church is strong here in Belgium; it has a really bright future. There are so many people here I wish you all could meet! Seriously Family Schiltz, Zuster Van Wauwe, Broer Nuyens, Grace and Joseph, Katie, Heidi and Marie, Joseph Mendy, Andy Thomas, all the investigators -- just everyone. Anyone up for a trip to Belgium after the mission? These people have been my life and I love them more than I ever knew was possible. My mission has taught me so much about love and the capacity to help people. I'm so excited to see who is waiting for me in Amsterdam. I can't wait to find them. We also had zone conference this week in Utrecht and Elder Wells, Verwey and myself did an awesome musical number. They both play the recorder and so with my flute we played "Alles wat Adam heeft" (Praise to the Lord). It was so pretty! Thank you for sending my flute, I love having it.

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Here I am in Amsterdam and I love it! It's completely different from Belgium, but I already feel at home. Major differences: 1) It's clean. No offense to Belgium, but it's not the cleanest country. Everything is very new here; it reminds me a lot of America. 2) The language! Haha this is not Flemish that's for sure. It's so much easier to understand -- I should've started my mission here. It's pretty though. And 3) The people are so much nicer! Ok, that sounds horrible to say, but in Belgium, you just don't naturally talk to people on the street; they think it's weird. But here, it's so natural to talk to people. Everyone says hi on the street or at a stoplight on a bike and it's so nice! It makes contacting a lot easier. There are 6 missionaries in the city, well 8 actually. Us, 2 sets of elders, and the Pancratzs a senior couple. There is a lot of work to do! We are finding, finding, finding. We're doing a lot with the members. The ward here is legit -- they know how to get things done. I have already met so many members; they feed us all the time, and I love them already. They are very willing to help with missionary work.

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You receive this email today from a very happy Zuster Holbein. Why am I so happy? Haha, I don't really know. Maybe because it's been a great week and it's a beautiful sunny fall day today. Maybe just because I'm a missionary and that is always reason to be happy. Whatever it is I woke up really happy this morning. Just thankful for all the tender mercies of the week and the love that I've felt from my Heavenly Father.

Amsterdam is one multicultural city. In one consecrated hour we met people from Russia, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, Germany, France, and Bulgaria. Crazy! I am working on learning the name of the Church in lots of other languages. I've got French and Spanish the best. I can say, “We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” And Zuster Driggs knows Russian which is cool and helpful.

Know that I am really happy and I feel your love and prayers. We are so blessed to be members of this church; honestly, I don't think I have ever realized it so much in my life. The Book of Mormon clearly is the word of God. It changes lives; it brings light. I love it.

Keep on keeping on.

Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein